Counter-top electric ovens are known in the art. In comparison to conventional ovens, counter-top electric ovens typically offer the advantage of being less bulky and having quicker cooking times. It is common for counter-top ovens to include a power head having a heating unit that is used to heat the cooking enclosure. It is also common for the interior of the cooking enclosure in such ovens to be accessed by manually lifting an upper portion of the cooking enclosure from the remainder of the cooking enclosure. To reduce the weight of counter-top electric ovens for portability and to provide a cooking enclosure that allows viewing of the cooking operation, counter-top electric ovens typically utilize plastic materials for a majority of their housings, including for the cooking enclosure. To reduce the cooking time, counter-top electric ovens typically will rely on a hot air stream that is cycloned around the food by a high speed fan associated with the electric heating element, or by utilizing an infrared heating element in combination with a relatively low speed fan that generates sufficient air circulation in the oven to ensure a relatively uniform temperature distribution in the oven. One example of a counter-top electric oven that utilizes an infrared electric heating element, a relatively low speed fan, and plastic housings, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,420 issued Apr. 4, 1995 to Eugene Song.
One problem associated with such ovens is the heat generated by the heating unit of the power head. This heat can potentially damage plastic components of the oven and can also potentially increase the temperature of the oven housings to a point where a user cannot comfortably access the cooking enclosure. This problem is especially of concern for the components and housing near the heating unit.
As seen in the Song patent, it is also known for the lower portion of the cooking enclosure of such ovens to be defined by a metallic pan having an interior surface at which the heat generated by the heating unit is directed. The metallic pan is supported and surrounded by a plastic base which prevents the heat transmitted from the metallic pan from damaging the counter-top on which the oven is resting. One problem associated with this construction is that the metallic plate can transfer sufficient heat from the heating unit to damage housing components contacting the pan, or can transfer sufficient heat surrounding the housing to a point where a user cannot comfortably touch the surrounding housing. Another problem associated with this construction is that it can be very difficult to remove the metallic pan from the base, especially when the metallic pan is hot.
Other concerns common to counter-top ovens are the assembly and disassembly of the housings to allow the insertion and removal of food for cooking, and the cleaning of the interior of the cooking enclosure and the heating components therein.